Apply to Masters Program

Final Application Deadline

The 2019 Application will be available in early September and the Priority Application Deadline is December 15, 2018

Application files completed by the priority deadline are guaranteed to receive a review by the Admissions Committee. Applications and materials may still be submitted after the priority deadline until mid-January 2019, but no guarantee is given that the Committee will consider them. Therefore, we encourage serious applicants to submit all necessary materials prior to the December deadline.

NOTE: All materials must be uploaded to the electronic application. Extra materials will not be included in your application file. Materials become the property of Yale F&ES and will not be returned to applicants or enrolling students.

Required Materials

Describe your academic and career objectives and how Yale F&ES can help you achieve them.

Include other considerations that explain why you seek admission to F&ES and your interests in the environmental field.

Supplemental statements (NO MORE THAN 300 WORDS)

MESc or MFS: Write one short paragraph for each advisor you would like to work with describing why you want to work with them and why they are a good match to serve as your advisor to your research project.

1-year MEM or MF: Explain how relevant professional experience in the environmental or forestry field have provided experiential learning equivalent to one year of academic study.

Résumé or curriculum vitae (Do not send hard copies; they will not be read or returned.)

Include dates of service, employers, titles, nature of duties, and any significant volunteer experience.

Please include a notation for each job/internship/volunteer position you have held describing whether the position was full or part time.

List also original research work, reports, or publications.

Three letters of reference (Extra letters will not be accepted.)

Academic letters and/or letters from professional supervisors are preferred. These individuals can evaluate your scholarship, professional activities, leadership skills, and career goals.

The submission of the recommendation form and a one- to two-page letter is expected. Letters from family, friends or nonsupervisory colleagues are not acceptable.

Official transcripts

A four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent.

Applicants with a three-year degree from an accredited international institution are eligible to apply, but potential admission will depend upon an equivalency evaluation of your degree. Most evaluations can be done at F&ES upon submission, but in certain cases WES or ECE evaluations may be required after review.

A scanned or electronic copy of each transcript from every college or university you have ever attended.

Electronic transcripts must officially list your name and the name of your college/university. Documents may not be altered by applicant.

If you have already completed a bachelors degree at the time of completion, please ensure that the transcript submitted for that institution shows the date of degree conferral.

Study abroad or other transcripts are not required if your degree-granting institution transcript includes the courses AND grades taken at another school.

If submitting official transcripts, all final transcripts must include the degree type and graduation/degree conferral date.

Although not required for admission, applicants completing a bachelor’s degree outside of the United States or Canada are encouraged to submit a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org). The evaluation should be a course-by-course or ICAP evaluation of all transcripts and diplomas (undergraduate and graduate) and must included a certification of U.S. bachelor’s degree equivalency. Applicants are responsible for any fees associated with these evaluations.

For WES or ECE evaluations: Submit your official transcripts/diplomas directly to WES or ECE and not to Yale. F&ES does not need to see your transcripts if you use one of these services.

Official (notarized) English translations are required for academic records and transcripts not published in English. A certified translation of the diploma certificate must also be uploaded if the transcript does not include the date of graduation and the type of degree awarded.

Attention applicants from China: Admitted students submitting transcripts and degree certificates from Chinese Universities MUST arrange for a degree & transcript verification report by WES (course by course). Do not request your verification report from WES until your degree has been awarded. The reports must be mailed directly to the Office of Admission by WES, rather than by you or another third party. Any document not mailed by WES will not be considered as a final official document.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not mail unofficial paper copies of transcripts, grade reports or mark sheets to apply to Yale F&ES. Unofficial documents should be uploaded online and official documents only should be mailed to Yale F&ES. If admitted, however, you must submit official or certified transcripts for all registered coursework from each college or university you have attended before enrolling at Yale F&ES. All offers of admission are conditioned on the receipt and verification of official documents.

The GRE, LSAT, GMAT score must have been taken within the last five years.

Name and birthdate on test exam must match name on application exactly. You must use your “legal” name on all materials otherwise it will not be accepted

Tests taken by December 15 will be considered “received” by the deadline.

F&ES accepts the GRE, GMAT, or LSAT. Most applicants choose the GRE, but students interested in the joint MBA or JD degree programs can choose the GMAT or LSAT respectively. We recommend that applicants sit for these exams by the end of November so that scores can be received by the application deadline (December 15th). Please note that you can only submit the LSAT if you are currently submitting an application to Yale Law School, Pace Law School, or Vermont Law School. All others must submit the GRE or GMAT. For further information about these exams or to schedule an appointment, please visit the following websites: ets.org/gre, mba.com, or lsac.org.

LSAT: for current applicants to Pace/Vermont/Yale Law Schools joint degree programs only. LSAC will not send score reports to Yale F&ES (www.lsac.org). If you take the LSAT, you must contact the Office of Admissions or Registrar’s Office at a law school to which you have applied and ask that they fax or email a copy of score report to Yale F&ES: 203-432-5528 orfesinfo@yale.edu.

Official TOEFL and IELTS test score report

Required if your native language is not English or if English was not your primary language of instruction at your degree-granting undergraduate institution.

Minimum overall band = 7.0 (please note: you must receive a minimum of a 6.5 on each individual section)

Copies or reproductions of test score reports will not be accepted by Yale F&ES. Score reports must be sent directly from the testing service.

Application fee

US $80.00 (Submitted by credit card or electronic transfer via the online application.)

Application fee waiver request are considered on a case by case basis and are based completely on financial need. Fee waivers MUST be requested no later than the application deadline. To request a fee waiver, one must submit the fee waiver request form to fesinfo@yale.edu. The form is available here. Please note that current college students applying for a fee waiver MUST also submit an official letter from their financial aid office attesting to their financial hardship in order to be considered. Returning Peace Corps Fellows who qualify for the Coverdell Fellowship must also fill out this application form.

Online Supplement

After submitting your online application, applications will be asked to complete an online interview supplement. You will have the period between when you receive the email and midnight December 22, 2018 to complete this requirement. There is no preparation necessary, and this part of the process is intended to learn more about your interests, experiences, and what you may add to our diverse F&ES community. However, your application will not be reviewed until you complete this step. This portion of the application will take between 10-15 minutes.

Optional Materials

“Contribution to Community” (NO MORE THAN 300 WORDS)
The Yale F&ES mission includes commitments to “build a global school of the environment” and “finding strength in our collegiality, diversity, independence…” How do your life experiences/background enhance our commitment to a diverse set of perspectives and to training individuals in an increasingly varied society?

Explanation of gaps in resume

In no more than 5 sentences, please describe any gaps in your resume (where you were not employed, in school, or interning) lasting longer than 3 months.

For guaranteed consideration of your application, all materials must be submitted electronically no later than the priority deadline of 11:59 PM EST, Friday, December 15, 2018.

Questions concerning admission or the application process should be directed to fesinfo@yale.edu, 203.432.5106 or 800.825.0330.

Review Process

We look for students capable of making effective contributions to scientific knowledge or to professional service in addressing environmental problems. Special weight is given to relevant experiences after graduation from college. Clarity regarding professional career goals is a critically important part of the applicant's personal statement. Admissions staff and faculty review teams read the applications submitted to the Master’s degree program. Final admissions decisions rest on an integrated assessment of the components described above.

Reapplying to Yale F&ES

Previous applicants to the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and applicants who declined a previous offer of admission must submit a new application. The application fee is required. Applicants, who have been denied admission three times by the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, whether by one or more departments, may not file further applications.

Yale University’s Nondiscrimination/Title IX Statements

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and affirmatively seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons of diverse backgrounds. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual's sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a protected veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

University policy is committed to affirmative action under law in employment of women, minority group members, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans.

Inquiries concerning these policies may be referred to Valarie Stanley, Director of the Office for Equal Opportunity Programs, 221 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Floor, 203.432.0849. For additional information, see www.yale.edu/equalopportunity.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from sex discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Questions regarding Title IX may be referred to the University’s Title IX Coordinator, Stephanie Spangler, at 203.432.4446 or at titleix@yale.edu, or to theU.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 8th Floor, Five Post Office Square, Boston MA 02109-3921. Telephone: 617.289.0111, Fax: 617.289.0150, TDD: 800.877.8339, or Email: ocr.boston@ed.gov.